Serving head for core wrapping apparatus

ABSTRACT

IN AN APPARATUS FOR WINDING STRANDS IN TWO DIRECTIONS AROUND AN ADVANCING CORE, INSTEAD OF PASSING THROUGH A DIE, THE STRANDS APPROACHING THE CORE ARE DEFLECTED OVER THE OUTER SURFACE OF A RING OR PLATE AND PASS OVER EACH OTHER ON THIS SURFACE.

Feb. 16, 1971 B. WOQLMAN 3,563,017

SERVING HEAD FOR CORE WRAPPING APPARATUS Filed June 2', 1969 INVEN'IOR IL.B. WOOLMAN BY /f/% Patented Feb. 16, 1971 3,563,017 SERVING HEAD FORCORE WRAPPING APPARATUS Lawrence B. Woolman, Marion, Ind., assignor toAnaconda Wire and Cable Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 2,1969, Ser. No. 829,609 Int. Cl. B65h 81/08 US. CI. 57-13 3 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In an apparatus for winding strands in twodirections around an advancing core, instead of passing through a die,the strands approaching the core are deflected over the outer surface ofa ring or plate and pass over each other on this surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has long been known to apply winding intwo orrections, that is, both left hand and right hand, around a core,such as an electric cable, hose, or tensile strand, to cite commonexamples. In some cases, such as braids the strands are interlocked,passing alternately over and under each other, in other cases, wheremore flexibility is required, the strands are not braided, but some areapplied left hand and some right hand, without interlocking. In abraiding machine, which can also be used to apply the non-interlockingwindings, strand supply spools are mounted on two supports that rotatearound the advancing core one clockwise, and one counterclockwise. A dieor ring is mounted downstream of the spools, encircling the core, andthe strands all pass within this die. This known structure works wellfor close winds or braids but for very open application where theadvance of the core is relatively great for each revolution of thestrands the known apparatus has resulted in uneven winding and hasimposed a limitation on the positioning of the strand guides since thesehad, perforce, to be located outside the circumference of the ring.

SUMMARY I have found that a very even open winding or braid can beapplied by passing the strands over the outside surface of an annulusand that, surprisingly, the strands will encounter and pass over eachother evenly on this surface. My apparatus for winding a plurality ofstrands left hand and an additional plurality of strands right handaround an advancing core comprises a means advancing the core from asupply thereof, first means supporting a first plurality of supply meansof strands and means for rotating said support means left-hand aroundthe core. It also comprises second means supporting a second pluralityof supply means of strands and means for rotating this second supportmeans right-hand around the core. My apparatus comprises as an essentialfeature, an annular member comprising an outer surface in a circlenortrial to the axis of advance of the core, and also comprises guidemeans, mounted upstream of the annular member, for the strands. Bysuitable means the rotating means and the advancing means aresynchronized so that each strand rides on the surface of the annularmember at a point between the guide means and the core and the strandsencounter each other and pass over each other on that surface. In oneembodiment of my invention all the strands rotating in one direction maypass over all those that rotate in the opposite direction and in anotherembodiment at least one strand may pass under the strands rotating inthe opposite direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing the figure shows a sideview of an apparatus of my invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the figure theapparatus, indicated generally by the numeral 10 is used to wind aplurality of strands 11-11 in one direction so as to make a left-handwind, and another plurality of strands 12-12 in the opposite directionto make a right-hand wind around a core 13 advancing from a reel 14 overa guide sheave 16. The strands 12 are supplied from cops or spools 17mounted on turntable 18 and the strands 11 are supplied from cops 19mounted on a lower coaxial turntable 21. The turntable 21 rotates in abearing 22 mounted on a fixed frame 23. A sprocket 24 fixed to theturntable 21 is driven by a chain 26 from sprocket 27 on a verticalshaft 28 which, in turn, is driven by means of a chain 29 by a powersource, not shown. The turntable 18 is mounted on a shaft 31 passingfreely through a central opening in the turntable 21, sprocket 24, andbearing 22. The turntable 18 is supported by a conventional thrustbearing (not shown) in the frame 22 and terminates in a sprocket 32whence it is driven by the chain 33 sprocket 34 and gears 36, 37 in adirection opposite to the direction of rotation of the turntable 21. Thecore 13 passes through a tubular support 38 which is surmounted by aannular disk 39 having a smooth circular surface 41. The support 38 anddisk 39 do not rotate. The core 13 is advanced by a capstan 42 whence itpasses over a guide sheave 43 to a takeup reel, not shown. The speed ofthe core 13 is determined by the speed of the capstan 42 which is drivenby means of worm gearing 44 from the shaft 28 by means of the chain 46selected for any desired ratio to the rotation of the turntables 18, 21.As the turntables rotate they wind the strands 11, 12, in oppositedirections around the core 13 with the strands 11 covering the strands12. The strands 11 are passed through eyelets 47, 48 mounted on theturntable and the strands 12 are passed through eyelets 49 on theturntable 18. The eyelets 48, 49 are so positioned that, in their pathto the core 13, which they all reach at the same point of application 51the strands break on the surface 41, each of the strands forming anangle, alpha, between the edge of the disk 39 and the core 13 which isdetermined by the ratio of the disk diameter to the core diameter andthe ratio of the speed of the capstan 42 to the rotation of theturntables. Tensioning devices 52 of known construction apply tension tothe strands 11 and 12, as desired, and as each of the tensioned strands11 encounter one of the strands 12 on the surface 41 it passes over thestrand on this surface in a surprisingly uniform manner to form auniform, even spacing of the strands around the core. In my apparatus sofar described all of the strands 11 rotating in one direction areapplied over all of the strands 12 of the opposite hand. However byadding another turntable 53 rotating in the same direction and speed asthe turntable 18 and supported by a beam 54 I can mount cops 56 andeyelets 57 to apply one or more strands 58 over the strands 11.

The surface 41 which establishes a fixed break distance of the strandsfrom the. core and a surface upon which they cross over each other,comprises an essential feature of my invention and this feature isapplicable also in braiding machines of otherwise conventionalconstruction in which the cops or other supplies of strand are passed inmaypole fashion, around each other or in which the strands are deflectedaround alternate cops.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding a plurality of strands left hand and anadditional plurality of strands right hand around an advancing corecomprising:

(A) means advancing said core from a supply thereof,

(B) first means supporting a first plurality of supply means of saidstrands,

(C) means for rotating said first supporting means left hand around saidcore,

(D) second means supporting a second plurality of supply means of saidstrands,

(E) means for rotating said second supporting means right-hand aroundsaid core,

(F) an annular member comprising an outer surface in a circle normal tothe axis of advance of said core,

(G) guide means mounted upstream of said member for said strands,

(H) means syncronizing said advancing means and said rotating means in aratio such that each of said strands rides on said surface at a pointbetween said guide means and said core, a plurality of said strandsencountering and passing over another plurality of said strands on saidsurface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said guide for strands rotating inone direction are so mounted as to direct all such strands over all saidstrands rotating in the opposite direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said guide means are so mountedthat, of the strands rotating in one direction, at least one is directedover and at least one is directed under the strands rotating in theopposite direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,504,020 4/1950 Hanson 57-132,802,328 '8/1957 Ritchie 57--13 2,931,162 4/1960 Klein et a1. 57-13JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner

